Not Plain Jane, just wanted to say that I don't believe you are a rape apologist!

I understand that this issue is very personal for many people. I've known several people who've had similar experiences. I should say, that I know of. I'm sure I know many more who haven't shared their stories with me. It's just incredibly common, and that is a tragedy. (And here we're talking first world--never mind third world, where in many places it's considered an unfortunate, unpleasant fact of life.)

I appreciate everyone who's engaging with this issue, even if your perspectives aren't identical to mine.

I also want to express astonishment that anyone could be of the opinion that this is something anyone could enjoy talking about. While it is no doubt empowering to use your voice when you've been silenced, ignored, or called a liar, I can't imagine there aren't a thousand topics anyone at all would rather discuss. This is a topic I imagine one must steel oneself to. I really appreciate the courage of all victims who speak out. It is difficult, and some find it impossible. Everyone who speaks makes it more possible for others to speak.

__________________There's a need for more individuality today, and my job is to cater to women, not dictate to them. --Alber Elbaz

I would like to reiterate fashionista-ta and say NotPlainJane that even though we may not agree, I respect your opinion and I hope that I have not come across in a way that suggests I don't. A lot of people are passionate about this issue, often because either they have been in Dylan's shoes or they know someone in Dylan's shoes. It's a difficult, painful topic that desperately warrants discussion, but for some I know it can get to be too much.

I just want to say that I welcome your opinions and perspective, and I hope you change your mind about not commenting.

What I enjoyed the most about Allen's letter is how he set up his entire line of defense before publishing it. First, the Weide article, then Stacey Nelkin comes out to defend him and finally Moses. Like setting up your chess pieces before making your move.

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TWENTY-ONE years ago, when I first heard Mia Farrow had accused me of child molestation, I found the idea so ludicrous I didn’t give it a second thought.

Interesting reaction to being accused of molesting your own daughter.

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Now, suddenly, when I had driven up to her house in Connecticut one afternoon to visit the kids for a few hours, when I would be on my raging adversary’s home turf, with half a dozen people present, when I was in the blissful early stages of a happy new relationship with the woman I’d go on to marry — that I would pick this moment in time to embark on a career as a child molester should seem to the most skeptical mind highly unlikely. The sheer illogic of such a crazy scenario seemed to me dispositive.

LOL. Blissfully in a "new" relationship with the daughter of my ex-girlfriend and the sister of my children, so why would I fancy one of their other sisters?

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I very willingly took a lie-detector test and of course passed because I had nothing to hide. I asked Mia to take one and she wouldn’t.

Refused to take a test administrated by the state police. Took one with someone that was hired by his own legal team and the state police refused to accept it as evidence*

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Justice Wilk was quite rough on me and never approved of my relationship with Soon-Yi, Mia’s adopted daughter, who was then in her early 20s. He thought of me as an older man exploiting a much younger woman, which outraged Mia as improper despite the fact she had dated a much older Frank Sinatra when she was 19.

But was Mia Frank's girlfriend's daughter though?

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Meanwhile the Connecticut police turned for help to a special investigative unit they relied on in such cases, the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of the Yale-New Haven Hospital. This group of impartial, experienced men and women whom the district attorney looked to for guidance as to whether to prosecute, spent months doing a meticulous investigation, interviewing everyone concerned, and checking every piece of evidence. Finally they wrote their conclusion which I quote here: “It is our expert opinion that Dylan was not sexually abused by Mr. Allen. Further, we believe that Dylan’s statements on videotape and her statements to us during our evaluation do not refer to actual events that occurred to her on August 4th, 1992... In developing our opinion we considered three hypotheses to explain Dylan’s statements. First, that Dylan’s statements were true and that Mr. Allen had sexually abused her; second, that Dylan’s statements were not true but were made up by an emotionally vulnerable child who was caught up in a disturbed family and who was responding to the stresses in the family; and third, that Dylan was coached or influenced by her mother, Ms. Farrow. While we can conclude that Dylan was not sexually abused, we can not be definite about whether the second formulation by itself or the third formulation by itself is true. We believe that it is more likely that a combination of these two formulations best explains Dylan’s allegations of sexual abuse.”

The state prosecutor, Frank Maco, engaged the Yale-New Haven team to determine whether Dylan would be able to perceive facts correctly and be able to repeat her story on the witness stand. The panel consisted of two social workers and a pediatrician, Dr. John Leventhal, who signed off on the report but who never saw Dylan or Mia Farrow. No psychologists or psychiatrists were on the panel. The social workers never testified; the hospital team only presented a sworn deposition by Dr. Leventhal, who did not examine Dylan.

All the notes from the report were destroyed. Her confidentiality was then violated, and Allen held a news conference on the steps of Yale University to announce the results of the case. The report concluded Dylan had trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality. (For example, she had told them there were “dead heads” in the attic and called sunset “the magic hour.” In fact, Mia kept wigs from her movies on styrofoam blocks in a trunk in the attic.) The doctor subsequently backed down from his contention.

The Connecticut state police, the state attorney, and Judge Wilk all had serious reservations about the report’s reliability*

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I pause here for a quick word on the Ronan situation. Is he my son or, as Mia suggests, Frank Sinatra’s? Granted, he looks a lot like Frank with the blue eyes and facial features, but if so what does this say? That all during the custody hearing Mia lied under oath and falsely represented Ronan as our son? Even if he is not Frank’s, the possibility she raises that he could be, indicates she was secretly intimate with him during our years. Not to mention all the money I paid for child support. Was I supporting Frank’s son? Again, I want to call attention to the integrity and honesty of a person who conducts her life like that.

HILARIOUS. Now I would like to call attention to the integrity and honesty of a man who took nudes of his girlfriend's underage daughter.

Edit:
And I have to add that I've lost so much respect for NYT! Shame on them for refusing to post Dylan's letter but then gives him space to refute her claims.